"hoping they (NATO) would eventually come to their senses and...

"hoping they (NATO) would eventually come to their senses and allow Russia to become fully accepted as part of "the west", as he has always wanted".

I remember shortly after Trump was elected in 2016 he attended a meeting with EU leaders in which he berated them for the Nordstream projects. Why?

Because America/NATO was frightened to death that closer economic ties between Russia and Europe would result in closer and PEACEFUL relations between them, which is the last thing America wants.Because as the relationship got closer the more Europeans would question (1) Why do we need NATO (2) Why do we need American troops to still be stationed in almost every country in Europe after 80 yrs for god sake; and (3) why do we need America to dictate European policy on all major matters from the other side of the world. In short America was frightened that Europeans would start demanding their sovereignty and America would lose the European part of its Empire .

That's why Nuland and Biden often said that they intended to destroy Nordstream, And don't let the Ukraine Propaganda Bots lie that European dependence on Russian energy would be unhealthy for Europe. When America/Australia/the UK etc want to develop their dependencies on China's cheap manufacturing for example (I mean is it even possible to buy products in Aust/America/UK etc today that aren't Made in China?), well that's permissible BUT if Europe develops a dependency on cheap Russian energy "ohh that's not good and not healthy for Europe". And of course lets pretend that such dependencies also develop in the reverse (China's dependence on Australian's resources and agriculture). Most every country has a dependency on the products and services of other countries.

America is doing the same thing in China. The economies of Mainland China and Taiwan are getting so progressively interdependent (presently Taiwan's biggest trading partner) that China believes that reunification will naturally and peacefully happen by 2049. Oh there's that word again; "peaceful". So what happens if Taiwan and Mainland China peacefully reunite? Oh that's right, if they have settled their differences and are getting on splendidly, who needs America there and what happens to America's Empire in the South China sea. America loses it.

So how does America get around the problem of peaceful relations between Mainland China and Taiwan? It talks up war between them and bankrolls the separatist movement in Taiwan and grooms and bankrolls the careers of Taiwan "separatist politicians to ensure there can be no peaceful transition to reunification so that America keeps its Empire in the south china sea.

The World will never know Peace while this vicious hegemon continues to rule the world